Construction workers drive pilings Thursday at Raceland Elementary School. A new building is under construction at the school.

Abby Tabor/Staff

Students who return will see new parking lots, signs, roofs, rooms, and in one case, an entirely new facility. They will also notice the foundation for future construction, including the groundwork for several new schools.

The summer months are the busiest for school district maintenance crews, said Donald Chamberlain, Terrebonne’s plant operations manager.

Evan Plaisance, plant and facilities manager in Lafourche, agreed, calling the period “crucial.”

“When school is in session, maintenance guys can’t get into the schools in a proper fashion,” Plaisance said. “This is the opportune time to get in there while students are out. It’s also the safest time.”

Lafourche and Terrebonne have each marked a number of projects off their back-to-school lists, according to Plaisance and Chamberlain.

Among the improvements:

- The $10 million freshmen center at H.L. Bourgeois High School in Gray is now ready. The 47,000-square-foot building will house ninth graders who attended Evergreen Junior High. A ribbon cutting will be held Wednesday to unveil the long-awaited facility.

- Central Lafourche High School’s industrial arts building is receiving a new roof. The contractor should finish that $422,000 project by Aug. 12, the first day of school in Lafourche.

- The library at Lockport Middle School will be moved from the main building to a multipurpose room in the school’s annex that is about 1,200 square feet larger. There are two phases in the $208,000 project. The first is to renovate the new space and move the items, and the second is to renovate the old space. The first phase will be complete next week.

- South Thibodaux Elementary School is getting a new parking lot, adding about 24 new parking spots to the school, and a canopy to cover a walkway from the gym to the cafeteria. Both will be complete by the time school starts. The total cost was about $284,000.

- A gravel parking lot at Larose Lower has been paved. The project cost about $300,000.

- Plumbing work in the kitchen at Chackbay Elementary has just been finished.

The parishes also have several unfinished projects that will continue into the school year. Those include:

- An elevator at South Terrebonne High School. Two other parish schools have lifts, but this will be the only full school elevator when it’s completed. The $400,000 project has seen delays, and it’s now scheduled to be done by October.

- Air conditioning replacements in the gymnasiums at Golden Meadow Middle, Galliano Elementary and Lockport Middle. The contractor is trying to wrap up before the school year begins, but there’s a chance it could take longer.

- A new Grand Caillou Middle School. The foundation has been laid for the school, the pilings have been driven and the structural framework is being built. The $15.7 million school should be ready for the 2014-15 school year.

- A new Larose Upper Elementary School. The estimated $10 million project is just getting started and won’t be complete until 2014-15. Contractors are driving the pilings next week. When the new school is open, the old building will be torn down.

- A new Raceland Lower Elementary School. The new building is now being constructed behind the existing school at Raceland Upper. The school, which will cost about $13 million, is scheduled to be finished for the 2014-15 year.

- Various repairs to about $345,000 damage caused by Hurricane Isaac. The repairs include roof and sign damage and downed fences.

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